Unleash your Inner Super Powers – Jacqui Letran

A self-help book ostensibly aimed at teens, it offers guidelines to those suffering with self-esteem issues, confidence, and/or anxiety. It takes the approach of advocating seven Inner Super Powers, or ISP’s, that taken as a whole will transform the person into someone who is more confident and self-aware, and is comfortable with themselves.

The subject matter is adolescent psychology, happiness and emotions, and self-help techniques. This is a topic way outside of my zone of familiarity, so I was intrigued to open it and find out what was going on.

Main Characters:

The “characters” in this case are the Individual Super Powers of:

1: Words:

2: Body

3: Imagination

4: Courage

5: Forgiveness

6: Love

7: Perseverance

Plot:

This is a good read, nothing hugely original or controversial but succinct and in easily-digestible prose. Beginning with “It’s all in your mind” the author talks about the power of the sub-conscious, then how to command it. The advice is “focus on the outcome you want” and use appropriate words to drill it home to your subconscious mind.

Each chapter is well laid-out, and each follows a similar structure.

It describes the particular power and why it IS such a power. The author then lists out many ways how we can turn that power upon ourselves, or react to the way OTHER people use the power to internalise and make us feel bad about ourselves (e.g. people criticising an achievement you thought was amazing), destroying our fragile ego, focusing on the I Can’t instead of the I Can.

The author then focuses on ways and means to destroy Fear and Doubt using that particular ISP, through assumed scenarios, and desired actions/outcomes. We are then invited to a little self-reflection, by completing an open-ended narrative of 5/6 questions.

The author then moves into the meat of the chapter, by outlining various exercises we can follow, which will allow us to “tap into” the particular ISP. There is a bonus chapter at the end, on how to release your unwanted emotions.

What I Liked:

The steps flow easily, and are simple to understand.

Overflows with positivity

What I Didn’t Like:

There is no new insight here, rather a concise repackaging of standard themes and solutions.

I could not see, other than her Nursing Masters degree, whether the author had specific training in the field, which tends to water down the credibility.

Overall:

This is a nice book to have, it speaks to a particular audience who may find it helpful. Anything that has as its aim helping people who are struggling, and need a little perspective and guidance, is to be welcomed.

I liked the positivity, that nothing is insurmountable, but think there could be more in the way of “hard” methodology, instead of someone seemingly having to work it out by themselves. While of course people must take responsibility for themselves, I would like to have seen a more holistic approach taken.

In summary, there is really nothing new or ground-breaking in this book, but the material is presented in a clear, precise way.

Acknowledgements:

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for sending me a free copy of this book, in return for an honest review.